Johannes Walle Kolo
Talented Young Painter from Flores

Bali, as the hub of arts in Indonesia, comes to be a right choice for the talented boy of Bajawa - Flores to make his art flair mature. Flores is an island situated in the east of Indonesia and is part of the province of East Lesser Sundas.

Johanes Walle Kollo, or Jon Ale as he is familiarly called, is not from an artist family. The art flair streaming within his body constitutes a talent of nature endowed by the Almighty God. It has been discernible since he was a child where his textbooks were mostly filled with more pictures than writing. On that account, he was over and over again reprimanded by his teacher. However, it did not change his behaviour and his teacher repeated to reprimand him more frequently. In the meantime, it did not matter for his parents.
When Jon Ale was at secondary school, he was often asked to do a favour making decoration for wedding party by his family or neighbours. Though he received no payment of any single penny, Jon Ale was delighted to do so. It was considered an exercise for nothing as the tools and ingredients for such decoration have been prepared by the order giver.
As a matter of fact, at his secondary and senior high school he got no subject on drawing. At that time, he preferred to learn drawing at home by imitating some examples on magazine. Nevertheless, he remained to feel so lucky, as his school had a board magazine requiring some illustrations. And Jon Ale himself was assigned to prepare that illustration needed. "Indirectly, I could keep on practising drawing," he said on being visited by Bali Travel News in Singaraja.
According to Jon Ale, the life of art at his home village is not as good as that in Bali. It’s hard to find out any single information about the art. Still Jon Ale remains to have an aspiration becoming a renowned painter so he did not think twice to study at the Fine Arts Department following he graduated his study at senior high school. Fortunately, at his school he obtained brochures informing about the existence of a university in Singaraja (North Bali) that has fine arts department. He immediately enrolled himself and passed.
As a person who merely had flair in drawing and without basic knowledge on sufficient art domain, made the beginning phase of his study so problematic. "Due to my great curiosity I could persist," he revealed smilingly. It is during his study in Singaraja that Jon Ale just felt how enjoyable it was when he painted on canvas by means of oil colour.
Jon Ale has now completed his study at Faculty of Language and Art Education, Fine Arts Education Department, University of Ganesha Education (Undiksha) Singaraja. His competence on painting by oil colour has been felt sufficient. Women and horses are the most favourite object of painting for him because both have unparallel allurement. "A woman has beautiful looks and a horse has courageous physical anatomy. They both are extraordinary creations of God and I’d like to immortalize them," he observed seriously. (BTN/Gung Man)

Bali Museum
Exhibition of Balinese Traditional Utensils

Bali has ample cultural potentials that are worth being proud of. One of them is the traditional Balinese utensil that has been renowned abroad from time immemorial. This utensil is attraction of its own that has become typical cultural characteristic of the community of the Island of the Gods. Such miscellaneous traditional utensils were made by immensely modest technology that presumably could merely be encountered in Bali. Up to this time, those utensils are still admired by the world community.
To learn by heart and recall such cultural heritage that once reached its golden period and concurrently welcomed the 74th anniversary of the Bali Museum, an exhibition titled ‘Balinese Traditional Utensils" was held not long ago.
The exhibition themed "Through the Exhibition of Balinese Traditional Utensils We Preserve the Ancestral Cultural Heritage in the Midst of Rapid Growth of Technology as An Embodiment of Introspection" was inaugurated by I.B. Kade Subhiksu, Sub Division Head of Cultural Heritage Vehicle representing the Division Head of Cultural Affairs of Bali Province, Wednesday (8/11). It transpired up to 12 November.
The Bali Museum is located right in the heart of the capital city of Bali, on Jalan Mayor Wisnu Denpasar, adjacent to the Jagatnatha Temple and Puputan Badung Square.
Some kinds of ancient utensils on show were that of farming (pickaxe, hoe used to remove weeds, long blade, sickle, plough, soil leveller, rice cutter, fishhook, fish basket and bamboo shrimp pot), cooking utensil (clay-made rice steamer’s lid, rice steamer, flat basket, sifter, cake’s mould), serving utensil (coconut-shell plate, clay water pot, kele), chewing betel utensil (betel leaf’s cutter, smoking pipe), make-up utensil (various kinds of comb), carpentry utensil (chisel, mallet, drill, handle) and miscellaneous toys (spinning top, truwiran, cricket cage, cockfight blade).
In conjunction with the exhibition opening, also a cultural appreciation was held in the form of competition engaging the students of secondary schools. There were three kinds of activities of Balinese culture put into competition such as palm-leaf braiding, Balinese character writing on palm-leaf and cultural work package, sculpturing.
According to the Committee Chairperson, who is also the Head of Regional Technical Performer Unit of Bali, Dra. I Gusti Ayu Mastini, the exhibition targeted the secondary school students, university students and general public that have not learned about the significance and usage of each ancient utensil. "As a non-formal educational institution, we keep on informing and communicating the collections amassed. Hopefully, these collections could be taken advantage by students and general public," she stated.
Observed, prior the exhibition her party undertook a socialization attempt to four regencies by targeting teachers teaching the subject on social sciences and supervisory institution at four sub districts as Busungbiu, Pekutatan, Dawan and Kintamani. (BTN/015)

International Cartoon Exhibition
"Bali is My Life"

Bali is My Life" is the title carried by the International Cartoon Exhibition in Denpasar lately. Hundreds of unique cartoons by cartoonists from 18 countries (Poland, Indonesia, England, Ukraine, China, Iran, Greece, Turkey, Serbia, Russia, Armenia, Cyprus, Holland, England, Ukraine, Romania, Brazil, Ireland and Slovakia) were exhibited for four days. It was designed for making Bali smile where the Indonesian and foreign cartoonists attempted to keep up Bali with their own perspective.
This matter was discernible from the works presented drawing the guffaw of visitors watching them. "The understanding of world cartoonists about Bali along with its deficiency and excellence will definitely become distinctive humour and valued within the international humanistic dialogue," revealed Jango Paramarta, Chairman of the Indonesian Cartoonists Association while adding that most cartoons created by foreign cartoonists highlighted the situation after the bomb tragedy shaking Bali.
According to him, the art of cartoon in Bali actually has undergone agreeable development since the last ten years. The development was considered moderately rapid in 2005 proven by the fact that a large number of the cartoon industries as well as magazine use this media to express their smart and unique criticism.
Also he added that Bali was overloaded with art and culture along with its complex societal life needs a criticism. "On that account, let’s learn and accept such criticism for introspection. It’s worth bearing in mind that the culture of nation will never mature flourishingly without the influence of foreign culture," he uttered.
In the meantime, the Mayor of Denpasar, Mr. Puspayoga, stated that the art of cartoon ran counter to other works of art. Its uniqueness lay on its universal quality. Cartoon could be understood by interested persons from different languages and cultural backgrounds without a necessity to make use of many words. Its other superiority is the capability to deliver criticism through the language of symbol. The art of cartoon could extend critical appreciation for wider community and the general public was expected to introspect on the life lived through this art.
The opening of the exhibition, transpiring in front of the Bali Museum, Friday (10/11) was graced with monologue art by prominent literati Putu Wijaya. Another occurrence that was no less attractive, was the pen brushing by the Mayor of Denpasar followed by renowned cartoonists attending this happening and this art work won over attendee’s amazement. Lots of attendees on this event were from the young generations. This proved that cartoon art is progressively favoured by the sustaining generation of this nation. Also expected that through this cartoon art Bali remains the capacity to smile and will be better known by the community worldwide. (BTN/rai)